Polar bear birthday: Toronto zoo invites everyone

(Thestar) Humphrey, the Toronto Zoo’s beloved young polar bear, is turning one on Sunday, and everyone is invited to his birthday party.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Humphrey’s (polar bear) birthday festivities will include birthday cupcakes for visitors and a talk by a special keeper. Anyone who drops off a birthday card will also get a poster. Some early celebrations for the bear on Thursday involved a “cake” made of coloured ice topped with fish and meatballs.

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Humphrey, who was named after a “Name the Cub” contest drew 14,000 submissions, survived against the odds under the care of veterinary staff and animal care experts at the Toronto Zoo, who nursed him to health shortly after he was born.

Although he was weak and weighed less than 700 g, Humphrey was the only cub to survive out of his mother Aurora’s litter of three.

After a month of medical care and seven feeding sessions a day (with an exercise session after each one), Humphrey grew stronger and was able to, roll over, and eventually stand on all four paws.

Now weighing in at 216 pounds, Humphrey can be seen in his outside den and the polar bear maternity area from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.